UPDATED: Seattle Mariners to Sign Hersin Martinez

The Mariners are set to sign Dominican outfielder Hersin Martinez. Martinez will sign for $1.1 milliion, and according to MLB Trade Rumors via a Dominican Prospect League release, Martinez has “tremendous plus raw power and a high projection ceiling.”

The Mariners have made a habit of signing guys like this since Jack Zduriencik came to town, inking Guillermo Pimentel and Phillips Castillo in past seasons. Like Pimentel there is some question about Martinez’s ultimate defensive position, but for how he’s an outfielder. I can’t seem to find Martinez’s handedness.

In terms of raw power, Martinez stacks up favorably against anyone in Latin America. He has a quick bat and hits tape-measure home runs to left field when he connects and is able to get his arms extended in batting practice. He has a large, projectable frame and should be able to add significant weight. The question many scouts have is whether he’ll make enough contact for that power to translate to game situations. He has a hitch in his swing, which causes him to get underneath the ball and gives him trouble against velocity. When he strides he gets out on his front foot and can blast the ball to his pull side, but he has trouble going up the middle and using the opposite field, even in BP. Like many young corner outfielders his size, Martinez is still learning to play with better body control, though he is a decent athlete. Martinez trains with Pedro Nivar, a former scout known in the Dominican Republic as “Nube,” who had Mariners $2.2 million outfielder Phillips Castillo last year. The Mariners are also the team most frequently linked to Martinez.